BULLY STICKS 101 . . . All Bully Sticks are not created equal. The first thing to consider when purchasing bully sticks is the country of origin. Most of the bully sticks found in major pet stores are from India or other parts of the world outside of South America. The living conditions of people and livestock in these countries is less than appealing, and as such, Top Dog only sells product from free-ranging South American cattle. These cattle are considered to be “green cattle” as they are given NO hormones, NO antibiotics, NO steroids, and they are fed NO feed. These cattle typically graze freely on open, wild grass fields, and drink from fresh springs and streams. They grow slowly and naturally, fed NO corn to make them big and fat. Many ask why not buy bully sticks from North American cattle. The reason for this is that most of the cattle in the US are kept in feedlots and encouraged to grow at a much faster rate (via growth hormones) than that of free-ranging cattle. 

Another difference between bully sticks on the marketplace is whether or not they are vertically drained and then baked. It is much cheaper to sun dry bully sticks and other natural treats, but it is much riskier as potential diseases and bugs can enter the product much more easily. All of Top Dog's treats and chews are baked—which is more expensive—but this allows for the quality of the product to remain quite high. 

All-Natural Bully Sticks are truly different. Most of the bully sticks on the market are irradiated—Top Dog's are not. This is due to the fact that irradiation actually destroys nutrients and creates new chemicals in food (learn more about irradiation here). All of Top Dog's products, that are exported from Brazil, are first inspected by the country's Ministry of Agriculture in accordance with international sanitation standards. Since 1990 Brazil has not registered a single case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease), the European Union classifying Brazil as being among those countries with the least chance of developing the disease. Top Dog products are then evaluated by both the FDA and USDA, approved without problem or disease. The bully sticks we carry are also not smoked, which adds a process and ingredients that we believe are just not healthy for our dogs. The problem is, most businesses fail to mention if their sticks are smoked or not. Smoked sticks can tend to look prettier and even be thicker; however, their quality is definitely lacking.

Don't be fooled by the price. You will see Bully Sticks selling for $1 to $8 each, thicker and larger product tending to fetch more. However, product from companies that utilize questionable practices is clearly not worth the same as product such as that which we are selling, which is 100% free-range, natural, irradiation-free, antibiotic-free, growth hormone-free, etc. The problem is that many companies are selling poor-quality product at ridiculous prices, and folks are being fooled into believing that they are getting something good for their dogs. And, that is the saddest part of this equation.

All you have to do is ask. We are amazed at how afraid folks are to ask businesses about their products before making a purchase. Remember, companies want to make a sale and do not always mention what is done to bully sticks. They leave out the fact that they may be smoked, that the animals had received antibiotics and hormones, they were subjected to irradiation, insecticides and chemical fertilizers were utilized in the raising of the cattle, etc.